Three Fairfax County high school students arrested in child pornography case

WASHINGTON – Three West Springfield High School male students were arrested on Jan. 11 and charged as juveniles with possession, reproduction, distribution, solicitation and facilitation of child pornography, ABC 7 reports.

The investigation is ongoing, but ABC 7 says Fairfax County police began the investigation on Nov. 29 after a resource officer at the school was notified of a sex ring involving some of the school’s students.

The male students arrested in the case are 15 and 16 years old. The six female victims in the case are also teenagers, and some of them also attend West Springfield High School. Others attend local area schools.

According to ABC 7, more arrests and more victims tied to the case could come forward.

On Monday, Feb. 4, West Springfield High School Principal Mark Greenfelder sent a letter home to parents of the school’s students.

The letter reads:

Dear WSHS Parents & Guardians, Many of you may have heard through various news reports over the weekend that several West Springfield High School students were arrested here at school on January 11 in connection with their involvement in a child exploitation case. As this is an ongoing police investigation, we are directing all questions about the arrests to Fairfax County Police. I want to be very clear that while arrests were made here at school the students did not engage in any of these alleged behaviors at school or during school hours. The charges that are pending all revolve around alleged inappropriate activity that occurred outside of school over an extended period of time.

The allegations were first brought to the attention of School Resource Officer Plazio in November and the police investigation was subsequently launched. Our task is to maintain business as usual at WSHS. We are here to care for and educate all our students. I want to express my regrets that our school was dragged into this story. The reports clearly do not reflect the positive learning environment that students, parents and staff have created at our school. Thank you for your continued support of WSHS.